KT-400 HTPC Case?

Woke up and ordered some modders mesh for all four of my 120mm fans. I also placed an order for (2) Scythe SY1212SL12H 120mm Case Fans (Newegg Item # N82E16835185139). I see they are probably going to be pretty loud so I'll more than likely have them hooked up to a fan controller (I have several different ones laying around in my stack of unused computer parts). While I was at it, I went ahead and ordered the Scythe Big Shuriken SCBSK-1000 120mm CPU Cooler (Newegg Item # N82E16835185129). I "should" have plenty of room to use a normal 120mm x 25mm size fan if I don't like the supplied Scythe low profile CPU fan that comes with that cooler. This morning, I cut up an old Lian Li 120mm fan grill and covered the backside 80mm hole. Used a few pop rivets and viola.. I like the look of it so I probably will just leave it all in there when I send it to the powder coater.


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It's looking good! Nice choice of CPU cooler. Might you duct that straight out the top?

You're making me feel lazy! I haven't touched my KT400 yet except to test fit some GPUs for the [H] followers.

What color are you going to powder coat? Flat black would be really slick.

Also, I'm curious to put power to the LEDs on the front to see how bright they are. The lights in my LC13E were blinding :eek: and had to add resistors to each.
 
cmadki4 said:
It's looking good! Nice choice of CPU cooler. Might you duct that straight out the top?

You're making me feel lazy! I haven't touched my KT400 yet except to test fit some GPUs for the [H] followers.

What color are you going to powder coat? Flat black would be really slick.

Also, I'm curious to put power to the LEDs on the front to see how bright they are. The lights in my LC13E were blinding :eek: and had to add resistors to each.
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Thanks! I have a MNPCTECH 120mm aluminum blow hole just sitting here, that I could easily mount on top of the case, over the CPU cooler. If I threw some of that modders mesh on it, it shouldn't look toooooo out of place. Whadda ya think?
http://www.mnpctech.com/blowholefan.html

LOL.. It's been my days off for the past few days. After today, I have to go back to work. I called my powder coater guy and I think either a "flat" or "satin" black is the way I am gonna go. Also, I just finished killing my last cutting wheel disk on my dremel so I have to pick up a few more. That's a good idea on the LED.
 
Just finished measuring out the holes for the side 120mm fans (the side where the narrow 120mm x 12mm Scythe Fans are going). Need some input here.. I have this stuff (Modright Modmesh) that will go between the fans and the case:

mesh.jpg



The question is:

- If you look at the picture below, should I keep the little space between the two 120mm fans or should I cut it out and "modmesh" the small area between the 120mm fans?

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officermartinez said:
Just finished measuring out the holes for the side 120mm fans (the side where the narrow 120mm x 12mm Scythe Fans are going). Need some input here.. I have this stuff (Modright Modmesh) that will go between the fans and the case:




The question is:

- If you look at the picture below, should I keep the little space between the two 120mm fans or should I cut it out and "modmesh" the small area between the 120mm fans?
Click to expand...

Did you drill those holes out?
I'd cut out the piece to simplify the cuts, but you could try to keep it and see how it comes out and remove it if you don't have a straight cut.
 
I'd cut out the middle piece and have a nice clean rectangle of mesh. It would probably look cleaner to have one hole and than two.
 
Justintoxicated said:
Did you drill those holes out?
I'd cut out the piece to simplify the cuts, but you could try to keep it and see how it comes out and remove it if you don't have a straight cut.
Click to expand...

cmadki4 said:
I'd cut out the middle piece and have a nice clean rectangle of mesh. It would probably look cleaner to have one hole and than two.
Click to expand...

I am leaning towards cutting the space between ..It would make it look "cleaner" in appearance, IMHO. Just got finished measuring and drilling out my other (2) 120mm fans on the opposite side of the case, near the power supply. Same thing on this side.. as you can see, it's going to be one large hole that houses (2) 120mm fans :)

Talk about BARELY fitting (2) 120mm fan, OMG. I only had a few millimeters left over to worth with between the edge of the fan and the power supply.. LOL!


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That case is really going to breath nicely when you're done. Do you plan on doing anything to the front? At the bare minimum I"m going to do away with the "DVD" logo. Some MEK might do it. Nothing too harsh like Acetone or the like.
 
At first I was like "you're scoring down to the metal, it's going to look like shit" then I remembered "oh yeah -- powder coating." So now I feel like a dunce. Looks good so far.
 
cmadki4 said:
That case is really going to breath nicely when you're done. Do you plan on doing anything to the front? At the bare minimum I"m going to do away with the "DVD" logo. Some MEK might do it. Nothing too harsh like Acetone or the like.
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Let me know how that goes. Post up a pic of the final finished product. I'd like to see how well it goes!

silent-circuit said:
At first I was like "you're scoring down to the metal, it's going to look like shit" then I remembered "oh yeah -- powder coating." So now I feel like a dunce. Looks good so far.
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LOL.. I appreciate the compliment. Just picked up some more heavy duty dremel cutting disks! I'll be starting in on my cuts today when I get home from work. As for the coating, I'm in good with my local powder coater.. He has coated THOUSANDS of dollars worth of parts for me! ..I probably qualify for some kind of frequent flier miles (or should I say frequent coating miles).. hahaha!
 
Just started documenting my 120mm cuts. A straight piece of right angle iron, (2) "C" clamps and my trusty dusty rotary tool. For those of you who are not too steady with a dremel tool, this is an awesome method for keeping your cuts nice and straight! (Pictures will soon follow)
 
Just wanted to post some photos showing it powered up. I was curious to see what the LEDs looked like so I loaded up an old cpu/mobo and fired it up.
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I did notice that the dvd door had some trouble closing:
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I think it's just getting hung up a little on the rolled edge of the backside of the door. Easily fixed, I'm sure.
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Hey cmadki4.. Great pics. Did you figure out the door issue yet? ..I just got home from my job but I haven't had time to post the pics of my first round of cuts. Aside from the front of my case, the interior and sides will look COMPLETELY different : )
 
I would make this short and sweet but I don't think its going to happen. I haven't purchased this case yet but the info here will undoubtedly make up my mind. I have several questions. 1) what is on the back card slot? Looks like a RCA jack. 2) I was told the IR connection is a USB type A, no header. Engineer+ crack=this. 3) Has anyone had any luck with the IR in Linux, preferably XBMC Live? 4) As for the 120mm fan ports, will a standard 1" fan physically fit the port nearest the I/O shied. 5) I couldn't tell by any pics but could the corner of the CD bay be notched to fit a standard 120mm fan or would it still interfere with the drive itself? I want this system as cool and quiet as possible as per my components. As for now the loudest thing is my GPU, which I can remedy. Any comments to questions or system specs would be greatly appreciated.

AMD Athalon 64 X2 4200+ NOT OC
Asus M2N-MX SE Plus
MSI Nvidia 8400 GS TD512E
PSU Turbolink Model: ATX-TL450W-BK
Corsair XMS2-6400 2 X 1GB
Samsumg HD204UI 2TB
XBMC Live Installed
 
Thunderbird said:
I would make this short and sweet but I don't think its going to happen. I haven't purchased this case yet but the info here will undoubtedly make up my mind. I have several questions. 1) what is on the back card slot? Looks like a RCA jack. 2) I was told the IR connection is a USB type A, no header. Engineer+ crack=this. 3) Has anyone had any luck with the IR in Linux, preferably XBMC Live? 4) As for the 120mm fan ports, will a standard 1" fan physically fit the port nearest the I/O shied. 5) I couldn't tell by any pics but could the corner of the CD bay be notched to fit a standard 120mm fan or would it still interfere with the drive itself? I want this system as cool and quiet as possible as per my components. As for now the loudest thing is my GPU, which I can remedy. Any comments to questions or system specs would be greatly appreciated.

AMD Athalon 64 X2 4200+ NOT OC
Asus M2N-MX SE Plus
MSI Nvidia 8400 GS TD512E
PSU Turbolink Model: ATX-TL450W-BK
Corsair XMS2-6400 2 X 1GB
Samsumg HD204UI 2TB
XBMC Live Installed
Click to expand...

1. The PCI slot cover has a SPDIF header / wire / connection coming out of it.
2. The IR connection IS a USB type A connection which means it must be ran out of the case to an available USB slot. However, I am wondering if you intend to utilize this connection, would it be possible to clip off the type A connector and wire it up to a USB internal header?
3. No comment / I plan on using my HT-400 with a Windows Operating System.
4. and 5. A standard 120mm x 120mm x 25mm will mount up to the holes just fine but I believe the top part of the motherboard would possibly interfere as well as the CD-ROM tray would interfere. Therefore, I am using a thing Scythe 120mm x 120mm x 12mm which will clear just fine. Yate Loon 120mm x 120mm x 20mm MIGHT fit but not sure. I'm not sure a "notch" would work as the actual CD-ROM itself would also probably needed to be "notched".

If you enjoy little projects, obviously this case is "moddable" to a point where someone could fit (4) 120mm fans (which is what I intend to do). Is it a $229 dollar case with $229 build quality.. of course not. However, over-looking a few minor things or using your imagination a little, you get a really solid case for basically $49.99!
 
I was thinking the same as to the USB cable mod. I don't see why it couldn't be done. I think the MFG found a bunch of these IR on E***y and thought it was a good idea to put em in this case. I would still like to hear "I've tried it and it didn't work" on the standard 120mm fan install.
 
OK.. as promised.. Here are some progress / picture updates. The side of the case that houses multiple hard drives near the PSU is now outfitted to house (2) full size 120mm fans! Woohoo! The cuts are straight even though because of the bare metal showing, it may not appear to be perfectly straight. Take my word.. LOL, they are straight as can be! Don't pay attention to the sanding marks / bare metal.. remember, this case will be BRAND NEW again after it comes back from my local powder coater.


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Just finished repeating the process for the other side.. This case is WAYYYYY open now! It should flow a LARGE amount of air! Heck, if this wasn't a HTPC case, it could be an awesome gaming rig. As it stands right now, the GTX 260 is still going in this case (even though it's tempting to snag a GTX 460 for under a hundred dollars.. Now that I have the air issue out of the way, I will move to the PSU mount. The provided PSU mount leaves a lot to be desired. So, in the tradition of being [H]ard, I am going to give it my best and redesign the entire PSU mounting solution. (Keep in mind, I've already increased the PSU air intake AND exhaust areas).


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I like your style! Hack it up man! How much will it be to PC the case?
In your pics, is the end of the dremel (screw I guess) sliding along the angle iron as you cut?
 
cmadki4 said:
I did notice that the dvd door had some trouble closing:
IMG_0583.jpg

I think it's just getting hung up a little on the rolled edge of the backside of the door. Easily fixed, I'm sure.
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The front panel of the dvd dritve is easily removed from the tray. Pop that off and it will no longer get caught on the door. Every case i've had with that type of opening had a part in the manual mentioning this.
 
Justintoxicated said:
I like your style! Hack it up man! How much will it be to PC the case?
In your pics, is the end of the dremel (screw I guess) sliding along the angle iron as you cut?
Click to expand...

LOL! ..Appreciate the words of encouragement as always! ..haha. To P.C. my cases in the past, I was never charged more than $60. But, I've been doing business with him for just under 10 years now. Yep, you are correct! The screw that holds the cutting disk on the end of the dremel stem just slides along the angle iron. A small amount of pressure is applied to keep it snug up against the iron as well as keeping a steady hand (wouldn't want that little cutting disk just taking off from ya and cutting EVERYTHING in its path..lol).

The end result is really straight lines.. back in the day, I used to "free hand" long straight cuts and I NEVER got the desired results. Many of the people who I've done some modding for usually tell me in some form or fashion, that I'm pretty good with a dremel.. LOL!
 
Thunderbird said:
...I would still like to hear "I've tried it and it didn't work" on the standard 120mm fan install.
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Hey Thunderbird. I found an old 775 motherboard and temporarily installed it in the case. I tested out the fan mounts nearest the CDROM / I/O Plate. I can now confirm that I've tried it and it did NOT work. The 25mm "thickness" of the 120mm fans simply will not fit in the space provided. I am supposed to receive my 12mm "thick" 120mm Scythe fans probably tomorrow or Tuesday. Being half the "thickness" of a standard 120mm fan, I have NO doubt that they will fit just fine.
 
officermartinez said:
Hey Thunderbird. I found an old 775 motherboard and temporarily installed it in the case. I tested out the fan mounts nearest the CDROM / I/O Plate. I can now confirm that I've tried it and it did NOT work. The 25mm "thickness" of the 120mm fans simply will not fit in the space provided. I am supposed to receive my 12mm "thick" 120mm Scythe fans probably tomorrow or Tuesday. Being half the "thickness" of a standard 120mm fan, I have NO doubt that they will fit just fine.
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That's what I was waiting to hear. I hate to go with a 12mm thick fan. It has run at higher RPM's to get better air flow and you compromise the noise level IMO.
 
Just a side note. If the vent holes are opened up, like most of these guys are doing, then maybe the noise level might not be an issue. I'm sure these modders will do as you are with the slim fans. It will be interesting hear, or should I say not hear, the end result.
 
Can anyone tell me how loud this case is with the stock PSU and rear fan? I know most GPU's will be the loudest thing.
 
Since today is my "Friday", hopefully I can get to Lowes or Home Depot and buy a little sheet of aluminum so I can fabricate the power supply stand / mounting area. I'll be sure to take pictures as I go..
 
Thunderbird said:
Can anyone tell me how loud this case is with the stock PSU and rear fan? I know most GPU's will be the loudest thing.
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I've got an X2 with stock CPU cooler, using the existing PSU and 9800GT with a passive cooler and it's pretty quiet. It could be quieter if you slowed the case fan down a touch, but it's totally tolerable. I've just been benching mine so it's sitting up on the desk w/ the monitor on top (previous pictures). The noise is low and tolerable.
 
officermartinez said:
Since today is my "Friday", hopefully I can get to Lowes or Home Depot and buy a little sheet of aluminum so I can fabricate the power supply stand / mounting area. I'll be sure to take pictures as I go..
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It's looking good Officer! I still haven't hacked mine up yet! This grad school stuff it killing me. But good clean cuts, I'm impressed! And thanks for the photos, keep them coming!

I'll try to take some internal shots of the case w/ components for those interested in case fan clearance.

Interest in the case must be be picking up, because I had several people contact me via ebay regarding this case. I directed them here.:D
 
officermartinez said:
Hey cmadki4.. Great pics. Did you figure out the door issue yet? ..I just got home from my job but I haven't had time to post the pics of my first round of cuts. Aside from the front of my case, the interior and sides will look COMPLETELY different : )
Click to expand...

I got the DVD door issue figured out. All I did was polished the machined/brushed texture on the rolled surface of the backside of the door down. Much smoother now. Ultra fine SandBlaster sanding pads.

The DVD logo came off without any trouble with MEK, which might have been over kill. Pictures to come soon. Looks a lot cleaner. Can't decide if I want to remove all the writing (power, reset, card reader, etc.) or not. I'll post pics and you all can be the judge.
 
officermartinez said:
Since today is my "Friday", hopefully I can get to Lowes or Home Depot and buy a little sheet of aluminum so I can fabricate the power supply stand / mounting area. I'll be sure to take pictures as I go..
Click to expand...

Thats going to cost you as much as the case itself lol. They are so over priced for sheet metal...
 
NotSoSimple said:
So the IR port in the back; Is it an 1/8th jack?
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No, it comes straight off the IR receiver "card" that is attached to the front of the case inside. It's a full fledged USB plug like you'd plug into your front ports or whatever. Not sure the reasoning behind this.

I'm going to use my I/R receiver from my tuner card w/ the 1/8" plug, route it out a free PCI slot and into the tuner card.

But like I said some mobos have an IR I/O, like mine, and some tuner cards have an onboard (internal) splot to plug in IR. The one on my mobo is Tx/Rx for blasting peripherals.

The USB plug in the picture if from the IR receiver:
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Justintoxicated said:
Thats going to cost you as much as the case itself lol. They are so over priced for sheet metal...
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OK.. just got home with my sheet metal. It wasn't too bad. $6 for 22 gauge steel. It's a 6" x 18" piece. I made my first bend (1 1/4" right angle bend). I'll make a few more bends, drill some holes and make sure everything looks nice when it is all mounted up. Once I finish this mount I'm thinking it should be ready to powder coating this thing..


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yea steel isn't to bad. For some reason I thought you would be buying aluminum. What are you using to make the bends?
 
Nice bend! After reading through this thread i picked up this case (45 bucks). Hoping that I van move my htpc out of my temp case.
 
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